Marie and Me

Watercolor texture 2

My name is Harper. I am 10 years old. I live in Hong Kong. I love dogs so much that I wrote this book. Marie is indeed my pet, and I have one more animal that is my lovely hamster. I like some beginner books about pets, because I can learn something from them.

I became a writer because I wanted to share my stories with people around the globe. When I was writing this book, sometimes I fell behind my schedule.

So, I created a timetable for myself and stuck to it. For my next book, I will write more about other animals that I learn from reading.

Her face changes and becomes more cute. This is my favourite picture.

Marie goes to the beach with me. We play there for a long time.

Chapter 4. Marie was a Vampire, Not a Dog!

I take a photo of her funny face, but she doesn't like it. She is feeling angry, so she bites me!

Marie's first birthday was coming! Her date of birth was on June 28th, 2019. My family had a discussion about how to celebrate her birthday.

Marie likes to eat apples and can eat it really fast. Just like a vampire!

We would buy her a cake that dogs could eat, and I was responsible for picking the design of the cake. Mother was in charge of inviting my uncles and aunts to the party, while Father would prepare some apples, which were Marie’s favourite! We prepared in advance for her big day!

I tried to use some snacks to train her to be an obedient dog. When Marie ate her breakfast and dinner, I would command,“Sit and hand”. She would sit down and put up one paw. Marie had a licking problem, and we were worried about it. She used to lick her paws so much that there was not much fur left on them. &nbsp;“Stop it!” I shouted. After that, she listened to my instructions and started to behave like an excellent dog. She corrected herself quickly.

Marie would only be friendly to her friends but evil to other dogs. Other than Zara, Marie had another friend - a Hiromi dog named Puffy. Marie would smile at Zara and Puffy. Marie didn’t have a long tail to wag, nor sniff her friends.&nbsp;In contrast, she could get very excited about seeing other dogs - she would bark loudly at and try to fight with them. After I walked her away from the dogs, Marie would always look back again and again. Father and I had to dodge the dogs that were near Marie.&nbsp; Every time we went to the park, Marie was full of energy. She was good at running very fast, even faster than me!

We would do a lot of exercise at the park. She was very tired when she returned back home. We would bathe her after letting her rest for a while. Going to the park with Marie was full of joy and happiness!

She is very tired, because she has been to the park to play and run, a lot!

Chapter 3. Marie was a Troublemaker!

After Marie’s first week here, I found out that she loved to make trouble. Father and Mother agreed with me. So, we called Marie a “Troublemaker”.

I try to make fun of her. But she doesn't like it.

I teach Marie that she should not bite things. She's a good "student" who listens attentively.

One morning, I got angry because she made a mess in her cage. She got into trouble by biting on everything in her kennel! Also, Marie ate rubbish, so we had to keep the floor clean. I thought she was a bad dog at that time. My Father exclaimed, “We must concentrate on training her.”

Mom, thank you for your great ideas and comments. You helped me a lot with the photo-shooting for this book. Thank you! Dad, thank you for preparing what I needed for Marie's birthday party. You took some funny pictures too. Thanks for your great effort! Ms Hamorn, thank you for inspiring and editing my writing. You taught me how to become an author, and I learned a lot of skills from publishing this book!

1. I couldn't afford dog supplies for Marie! 2. Marie's Face Looked Weird! 3. Marie was a Troublemaker! 4. Marie was a vampire, not a dog! 5. Marie was evil at the park! 6. Author's Profile

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Marie and I enjoy playing in the water in summer. 

Marie has a bubble on the side of her mouth. That looks cute!

Chapter 5. Marie was Evil at the Park!

Marie is going to the park. She feels happy and is looking forward to going there.

Marie is feeling cheerful. She plays on the swing with me!

Chapter 2. Marie's Face Looked Weird!

The day Marie came home was also my mother’s birthday celebration. Aunt Kuris bought a beautiful cake to give Mother a surprise, while Uncle Leo helped us to pick up Marie on his way to my house. 

When they arrived at my village, I felt joyful. I ran down as fast as I could to carry Marie to the living room. I thought to myself, “We will be best friends forever!”

This is Marie baby when she is 5 weeks old. Why is her nose pink?

Both Marie and her sibling look weird when they are newborns. Why are their ears so small?

Chapter 1. I Couldn't Afford Dog Supplies for Marie!

I was preparing for my new puppy’s arrival. Her name was Marie. I had a problem with getting her supplies ready - I could not afford it! So, my family and I asked our neighbours if they would donate necessities (e.g. a cage, pet sheets, a dog toy, a toilet tray, etc.) for Marie. My father’s friend said that he had some materials for donation, and we felt thankful for that.&nbsp;

Mother suggested, “When there is a sale at the pet shop, we will buy potty training pads for Marie. For the toys, you will choose a doll or a cushion.” After preparing Marie's items, my family and I looked forward to seeing her. At that time, we thought that Marie would be intelligent and lovely.

After all the preparation we had done, her actual birthday finally arrived! My aunts and uncles came to the party. First, I carried her to take a group photo. She didn’t like it, so she bit me on purpose. “Today’s her birthday, so I shouldn’t shout at her,” I thought to myself. Then, it was time to eat the birthday cake and apple. When Marie was eating the apple, she was like a lion swallowing up its prey. Next, Marie and I went to a nearby basketball court to play (e.g. running, football game, jumping, etc.), and she bumped into her best friend - a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Zara.

She was overjoyed! After playing for a long time, Marie felt tired, so we returned back home on foot. Marie’s face looked very satisfied because we had a blast. I was proud of myself, as I had given her an amazing first birthday celebration!&nbsp;

However, Marie’s odd looking shocked me. When I carried her, I noticed that she was the heaviest dog I had ever carried. I put her in her cage and took some photos of her face, which looked weird to me. She was only a puppy, but had a lot of wrinkles on her face. Her nose and eyes were unbelievably tiny. Her paws and snout were pink!&nbsp; “Can she smell well like a normal dog does? Can she see me clearly with her small eyes? I have never ever seen a dog with pink feet - they look more like a rat’s feet! Can someone explain all these to me?” I wondered.

I did not pick Marie. She was Father’s choice. “Why did you choose this breed of dog?”I asked him. He answered,“It is because French Bulldog’s face and body look smart and strong.” Regardless, Marie's face looked strange to me. 

This is her seating position. Why are her ears flipping backward?

Written and illustrated by Harper Chan